


The Brothers Three

by Cate_9xBlue



Series: Rocks, Wolves, and the Moon [5]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: AUNT ADIRA, Amputation, Angst, Blood and Injury, Brotherhood shenanigans, Cliffhanger, Episode: s02e14 Rapunzel and the Great Tree, Everyone Needs A Hug, Fluff, Found Family, Freckle Siblings, Gen, Guilt, Major Character Injury, Mentioned Eugene’s mother, Mentioned King Edmund, Mentioned Quirin, Mentioned Ulla(Varian’s mother), Protectiveness, Serious Injuries, Set during my version of season 2, Survivor Guilt, The Brotherhood - Freeform, Uncle Hector, Werewolf Curse, Werewolf Varian, but not really because in this house we don’t listen to canon, graphic description of burns, happens off screen, is it called off screen if it’s a fic, it’s not fatal but it’s not pretty either, not graphic tho, oh boy here we go - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-18 02:27:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28735725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cate_9xBlue/pseuds/Cate_9xBlue
Summary: Varian falls off a cliff, rides a rhino, and climbs a tree. In that order.Alternate description:Feral rhino man meets well meaning slightly feral nephew.
Relationships: Adira & Varian (Disney), Cassandra & Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider (Disney), Cassandra & Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra & Varian (Disney: Tangled), Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Varian, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel, Hector & Varian (Disney: Tangled), Lance Strongbow & Varian, Rapunzel & Varian (Disney)
Series: Rocks, Wolves, and the Moon [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2000689
Comments: 50
Kudos: 107





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Tis the moment we’ve been waiting for. Time for Varian to get another family member.

* * *

  
The moon was looming over the horizon, coloring the sky a light purple as a girl dressed in the same shade urged her steed on, eyes trained ahead. She held the lead by only a few feet, another horse trailing in her stead. Both riders fought for the lead, tossing looks over their shoulders. 

“I think we-“

“Raps, look out!” Out of nowhere, a gray blur rushed past them both, only missing the princess by a few inches. It raced ahead as though gliding across the dirt, returning to the center of the road and continuing on without them. 

“Oh no you don’t!” Rapunzel exclaimed, flicking the reigns. “C’mon, Max!” The horse whinnied, hooves colliding with the rough ground at a faster rate. 

“Wait up!” Cassandra called from behind, falling in line beside her. The creature ahead looked back for a moment, red eyes glancing between the two of them, and then it was off again. “If he wins we’ll never hear the end of it!”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Rapunzel laughed, grinning at her friend. “He may have the advantage when it comes to speed, but we have something he doesn’t.”

“And that is?”

“Experience!” Max surged forward, leaping over a fallen tree and gaining on their adversary. The werewolf’s movements were quick, sure, but they were uncoordinated and clumsy. Varian had all of maybe a couple weeks of time actually spent in that body, while Rapunzel and Max- they were a perfect team. At the sight of them so close, the boy’s footsteps fell out of order, one paw catching on a root and sending him face first into the dirt. Rapunzel laughed aloud, and she heard Cass’s cry of amused victory behind her, the two leaving the poor thing in a heap on the road. They turned the corner, once again neck and neck, Cass almost gaining the lead, and-

“Woah!” Cass cried, pulling Fidella to a halt. A large chasm lay ahead, full of sharp black rocks. Rapunzel faltered at the sight of them, hesitating, but then something leapt over her, and she let out a battle cry. 

“Hey!” She yelled, following after the werewolf who only let out a snippy bark and hurried forward. 

“Raps, don’t!”

The princess ignored her friend’s warning, gaining on her opponent with an excited glee. Varian’s paws left the ground in a confident leap, spreading out ahead of him as he soared over the gorge, and she followed, throwing her arms out as Max took the jump. The wind hit her face full force, hugging her arms and tugging them back, and she closed her eyes, trusting her steed and letting the moment take her. Then she felt the telltale lurch of hitting the ground, and her arms flew to Max’s neck, holding on to prevent herself from flying off head first. Her braid followed gravity, falling over her head and covering her face, and she let out a startled cry. 

Barking laughter broke her from her stupor. She forced the hair out of her face and looked down over Max’s snout, squinting at the werewolf who just sat there on his haunches, delighting in her less-than-stellar landing. She laughed humorlessly, rolling her eyes. 

“Oh yeah, muck it up, _fuzzy.”_ The boy huffed, turning his nose up and climbing back onto all fours. He kicked dirt up behind him as he trotted forward without her, the cocky little devil. 

“Raps!” Cass called from the other side. “You okay?”

“Physically? Yeah!” She jokingly glared after the werewolf, who was still strutting away like he was all that. “But my pride has taken a big hit.”

“Well I guess that’s the best I can hope for,” Cass chuckled, watching them from her side. “Hang tight over there! I’m on my way!”

“Gotcha!” Rapunzel climbed off Max’s back, giving him a grateful pat. “Thanks, boy. You were great. I was sure we’d win.” Max snorted, nodding his head in bemused agreement. She could tell his pride was in a worse state than hers. “You heard her, Varian. Don’t wander off!” The werewolf looked back over his shoulder at her, almost contemplatively, then he continued on his way, not paying her any mind. She rolled her eyes. 

Usually, they’d spend full moon nights closer to the campsite. But Cass had wanted to go scout out the area, and Varian had all but forced his inclusion. It was good for him- having the chance to stretch his legs and expel all that built up energy. It also provided the chance to experience a bit of his wild side, where all those worries and second guesses didn’t hold him back. Varian tended not to like his other self, but Rapunzel loved both of them. Sometimes she just wished he could see himself through her eyes. 

“Cass’ll grill us both if you don’t listen,” she chided, crossing her arms. “Don’t drag me down with you!” The werewolf paused, again looking back at her. To her surprise, he turned and trotted back over. He crept along behind her, as though to go sit by Max and wait, but then he knocked into her, eliciting a startled cry. She grabbed onto his fur by pure instinct, and he took it as her permission, scooping her onto his back and rushing off again. “Woah, hey! No! I said _don’t_ drag me down with you! Stop!” 

He leapt down over a dip in the road and she screamed, burying her face in the fur on his back. Her eyes screwed shut, curling in on herself as much as she could. He just kept running, unbothered by her fright. 

“No no no no!” She mumbled over and over, stomach lurching as he soared through the air again. Max was always steady, built for carrying someone on his back. Varian had none of his composure. They were bouncing all over the place, sending her teeth clacking against each other. 

Eventually he came to a sudden halt, sending her stomach into flips again. She didn’t loosen her hold on his fur, but she forced her eyes open, glaring down at his puppy face. 

“What, got tired of tossing me around like a rag doll?” She huffed. He blinked up at her innocently, like he’d never done a thing wrong in his life, then turned his gaze to something ahead of them. She followed it begrudgingly, still a bit put off, but all her frustration left her at the sight she was greeted with. 

“The Great Tree,” she breathed, letting go of her death grip on his fur. She slid off so she could step closer, mindful of the ledge in front of them. “It’s _huge._ ”

“Raps!” Both of them turned to see Cass running up to them, breathing like she’d run a marathon. “I told you to wait!”

“ _Somebody_ had other plans,” she said accusingly, pinning Varian with a tired glare. He cocked his head innocently, ears pointed up as though surprised. She shook her head with a laugh. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Cass sighed, equally amused. She walked up to stand beside her, taking in the behemoth of a tree. “So that’s where we’re heading.”

“Yeah.” Rapunzel’s eyes trailed the length of the tree, with rock walls on either side. “Adira says it’s the only way through to the Dark Kingdom.”

“Didn't she also say that other knight liked to lurk around here? Hendrick?”

“Hector?” Cass nodded, crossing her arms. “She said he _might_ be around here somewhere. She isn’t sure.”

“One would think she’d keep better tabs on potential threats like that,” she grumbled. Rapunzel sent her a look, but the warrior’s nephew stayed oblivious to the blatant disrespect. He’d sat himself near the edge, tail wagging as he watched the way the moon hung behind the tree, giving off a soft glow around the branches. 

“I’m just grateful we have any information at all,” Rapunzel argued anyways, shooting looks in the teen’s direction. “We could be going in blind.” Cass just shrugged. 

“Guess so,” she dismissed. “C’mon, we should probably head back. Who knows what the guys are up to without us.” Rapunzel sighed, nodding tiredly. As much as she hated to admit it, Cass’s concerns in that regard were probably valid. 

“Varian?” She called, making her way over to where he was perched. It was eerie, how calm he could look sometimes, especially after that display of energy. “Varian, it’s time to head back.” She rested her hand against the werewolf’s arm and he turned, red eyes flicking from her to Cass, who was waiting a few feet away. He looked rather tired now. With a single nod, he rose to his paws and trailed after them.

Halfway back to camp, they’d have to hoist a sleeping teenager onto the front of Fidella’s saddle, with Cass’s arms on either side to keep him from falling off. His heavy head rested against Cass’s chest, goggles slipping down over his eyes, with a soft whistling blowing between his front teeth. Rapunzel leaned back a little, curling her toes around the reins, and let Max take the lead, balancing her sketchbook on her knees. 

She had a nice sketch of the scene by the time they got back. 

* * *

The blissful calm of night was vanquished by the sun, which brought with it the chaos of early morning. Upon their return to camp, Eugene had greeted them a little too loud, which had resulted in a dagger to his throat and a stirring Varian. Rapunzel had carried him inside the caravan, shooting her boyfriend dirty looks on her way, while Cass hissed that he needed to let the alchemist get some rest. This had worked well enough until a well meaning Lance crept into the boys’ compartment to leave a breakfast plate for when he woke up, and the teen caught him in the act, blearily blinking the sleep from his eyes. He’d gotten his hands on Lance’s cup of coffee before anyone could intervene, and all hopes of the kid just _getting some sleep_ were squandered. 

Right now he was inside with Eugene and Lance, reading a book in a plush beanbag while the older two bickered. He’d look up occasionally, an irritated tilt to his brow, but he wasn’t getting involved. Nobody needed a three way argument today. Especially not with his sour mood. 

“I’m just saying,” Eugene was saying, one hand on his hip. “Sometimes you don’t tell the whole truth.”

“I am _hurt!”_ Lance cried in response, a hand over his chest. Varian’s gaze flicked up to them again, his unamused stare being the only visible thing from behind his book. “Name one time, _one time,_ I’ve stretched the truth.”

“ _Just now!”_ The teen sighed through his nose, hiding the rest of his face in his book. 

But then he paused, book lowering slightly as his attention drew elsewhere. There were heavy footsteps approaching, and a multitude of unfamiliar scents. He sat up a little straighter, brow furrowing with confusion and concern. One more look at the others told him they were still knee deep in their argument, voices raising, so he slipped past, making his way over to the door to the outside. He pushed the door open and peered to the side-

-and found a _rhinoceros_ staring at him from mere feet away, snarling and huffing with a wild maned rider on his back. 

“Everybody hold on!” Came Cass’s voice, and the caravan lurched into motion. Varian caught himself on the doorway, body nearly swinging out from the momentum, but he managed to shut the door behind him, pressing his back against it and trying to catch his breath. The caravan was gaining speed around them, but he could still hear their pursuers growing closer. 

“What’s going on?!” Eugene spluttered, nearly falling into Lance. Varian gasped for breath, hurrying to the window so he could watch. 

“Somebody’s chasing us!” His view out the window was rapidly changing. Their path had shifted because of the stranger, forested greenery giving way to the bland surface of a mountain side. 

A face popped into his view from outside and he yelped, jumping back. 

“Stay inside,” his aunt warned, face unusually hardened. 

“But-“

“Earrings!” She called, not even mentioning the fact that both men were still laying on top of one another, dazed. “Keep an eye on my nephew. Fishskin, make sure no one gets inside.” With that, she leapt into the roof of the caravan. 

“Everybody grab onto something!” Rapunzel yelled from the front, and the caravan lurched again. When he looked out the window again, they were heading up the mountain side, and the other half of their ride was heading down. He could see Rapunzel in the front seat, urging Max onward. Adira was perched on top of it, glaring down the man on the rhino, who was only growing closer. 

“He’s following them!” He called over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off the fight starting below him. Surprisingly, he didn’t feel all that worried. His aunt could take care of herself. If anything, he was worried about Rapunzel. Because if Lance and Eugene were here with him, it meant that Cass was driving. Rapunzel was basically on her own. 

“I don’t think we’re much better off,” Lance observed with a terrified squeak, eyes glued to the ceiling. Varian followed his gaze. There were footsteps on the roof. 

“Stay here,” Eugene ordered, grabbing his sword and letting the door swing open. 

“Wait!” Lance looped an arm around the teen, keeping him in place while their friend climbed up the side of the caravan. Varian fought his hold, but he overpowered him easily, large arms practically engulfing him. In a desperate attempt, Varian licked his hand. Lance let go with a cry of disgust, and the alchemist darted for the door. He got there just as Eugene let out a surprised oof, pinned to the roof by… bearcats?

Varian closed the door before they could notice him, hurrying over to his alchemy bag. He sifted through, mentally cataloguing everything he had. The sticky bombs could stop them, but could they hold them? He’d never really used them on anything bigger than Ruddiger, and those things looked _strong._ He had a few more volatile compounds, but he didn’t want to hurt anybody. Animals were loyal to their masters. These ones were just listening to what the mystery man was telling them to do. 

One vial slipped from his hand, and his eyes found the mark on his palm. He froze, staring at the blue paw print with a calculating gaze. Could he…? It would be greatly in their favor to have a strong animal on their side. Ruddiger certainly wasn’t any help, curled in a terrified ball of fur in the corner. He could hear the fight raging on above them. Eugene was outnumbered, overpowered. He could help. He could _help._

But could he control it?

“Okay,” he breathed, hands leaving the bag as he sat back on his ankles. “Okay.” Fists rested against his knees, he closed his eyes. He’d never triggered it on purpose before. It was always the moon, or, in rare cases, extreme emotions. The sun was fresh in the sky, the moon hours away. The odds weren’t on his side. 

The odds weren’t on Eugene’s side either. 

He let out a steady breath, searching through his mind. He found it hidden in the depths of his soul, thrumming with ancient power. It was asleep, unresponsive. He focused on the noises above him. Eugene was in danger. They were all in danger. He had to help, to _protect._ It woke with a spark, and he sucked in a gasp, before steeling himself. _He_ was the one in charge here. He had to keep a clear mind. He let it overtake him, magic humming under his skin. 

A low growl rumbled in his chest, and his eyes snapped open, overtaken with red. 

“You guys are _really_ persistent, aren’t you?” Eugene grunted, pushing one of the bearcats back with the smooth side of his sword. Its claws dug into the side of the roof before it could fall, and he fought back an irritated sigh. These things wouldn’t _quit._

A howl drew his attention along with the bearcats’, all turning just in time to see a large gray creature climb onto the roof. It growled, lips drawn back over sharp teeth, and the bearcats hissed in response. Eugene could only stare, eyes wide. He’d never seen the werewolf in the light before. 

Varian leapt forward, claws raking through the air and meeting their mark, one of the bearcats flinching back with a pained yowl. The other jumped at him, wild eyed and furious, but he ducked just in time, ramming it with his shoulder and letting it fall from the caravan and down onto the rocky path. 

“Varian!” Eugene cried, finally broken from his stupor. He floundered for words, eyes still wide with confused wonder. He seemed to settle on his own protectiveness, hands on his hips. “I thought I told you to stay inside!” Varian snarled in response, only sparing him a glance as he fought with the remaining bearcat. “Don’t give me that tone!”

“What’s going on back there?” Cass called from the front. 

“Varian’s up here!”

“ _Varian’s_ up there?!”

“Yeah!” Realizing how bad that might sound, he backtracked. “He’s furry right now!” A surprised silence followed. The sound of a door sliding open came from below, then some low bickering, and a hand appeared on the front edge of the roof. Cass hoisted herself up, sword clenched in her grip. She looked between the two boys with disbelief, before it hardened into her fighting face. 

“What, you’re just gonna let him handle it?” She snapped, waving an irritated hand toward the tussle happening on the back of the roof. 

“Weren’t you driving?!”

“Lance is up there now, but Fidella can handle herself.” She pushed past him, sword at the ready, but a sudden shift below them made her drive the blade into the roof, anchoring herself down. Her hand shot out to his arm, keeping him down with her. Both of them tried to find the source, looking over the side. The other bearcat was ramming into the side, trying to shove them over the edge. “Keep us steady!”

“Easy for you to say!” Lance called back, tone laced with clear panic. Another hit came and the caravan tipped, getting dangerously close to the edge. 

“Hold on!” Cass yelled, one hand desperately clinging to the hilt of her sword, the other wrapped around Eugene’s bicep. A terrified yelp made them realize their error. While they were anchored down, Varian was free to move about. The bearcat below rammed them again, and the one Varian had been fighting lowered itself by his feet, perfectly positioned for him to trip. His clawed toes caught beneath it and he flailed, falling head first over the edge. He didn’t even get the chance to try to catch himself, helplessly flung off the caravan and down the side of the mountain. Cass screamed, eyes wide with horror, and Eugene fought to try to go after him, but she kept him held tight. 

“VARIAN!!!”  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian finds himself in a compromising situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to find out what happened to the boy after he fell of the cliff!

* * *

Varian came to at an agonizingly slow rate. He was numb, adrenaline pounding in his ears and keeping his heart rate at a thundering pace. He moaned, mind fuzzy and disoriented. 

He must have shifted, because something began to ache in his leg. He let out another moan, trying to pry his eyes open, but everything was sluggish and delayed. The ache was building, like a ringing in his ears, into something worse, something sharper. Tears gathered in his eyes reflexively, making it even  _ harder  _ to come to his senses. Nausea was stirring in his gut, making his throat itch, but  _ why? _

He shifted again, and blinding pain shot up from his leg. He cried out, neck arching back, and his head met stone. In a flash of momentary clarity, he blinked the tears away, staring down at the offending appendage. One leg was bent in front of him, sore but otherwise untouched. But the  _ other.  _ His right leg was twisted beneath him, with an extra bend four inches below his knee. Splintered bone was poking out of his pant leg, coating the clothing and the grass below it with a steady stream of blood. 

His cry grew into a wail, pain hitting him full force along with a wave of horror. His eyes screwed shut again, breaths heaving in and out of his lungs. Every movement sent another shot of pain up his leg and through his body, leaving him trembling and choking on tears. 

“HELP!” He yelled, pain and terror washing away any semblance of logic. “Help, PLEASE! Please, please help me!” His voice broke and cracked all over, cutting off with a gasp, then a sob. His head spun, the itch in his throat spreading to his cheeks, but he swallowed it down. He couldn’t- he didn’t want to move. He  _ couldn’t  _ move. 

“Woah, hey.” Something shifted in his vision, but he couldn’t make out any images. His eyes were blurred with tears, and his mind was so warped by the pain that he wouldn’t have been able to comprehend it anyways. “Kid, listen to me. You gotta calm down.”

“It HURTS!” He gasped, head slamming back into the stone again. A hand slipped behind his skull and forced his head away from the surface, preventing him from throwing himself back again. 

“I know it does,” someone said, voice distorted by the ringing in his ears. “But you  _ need _ to calm down. It’s just making you bleed faster.” His breathing only quickened, images of blood dancing through his mind. 

“No,” he moaned, shaking his head. “ _ No. _ ”

“Alright, I get it. No.” The hand behind his head shifted to his neck. “I’m gonna move you, and it’s gonna hurt. So… so brace yourself.” Varian had just enough self control to take a deep breath, curling in toward the source of the arms. A second looped underneath both his legs, careful not to touch the wound. In a single motion, he was hoisted into the air. His broken leg hung free, and he cried out, burying his face in the person’s chest. Sobs washed over him again, biting his lip  _ hard  _ as he tried to get himself under control, but his savior just patted him on the back. “It’s, uh, it’s okay to cry. That looks pretty nasty.”

“I- I’m fine,” he hissed, forehead pressed against what felt like fur. 

“Yeah, I can tell.” He didn’t have enough energy to bite back at the sarcasm. They started walking, gently, slowly, to keep him steady and not jostle him too much. 

It was a while before they stopped, neither of them saying anything the entire way. He’d managed to calm himself enough to get a grip on the situation, forcing himself to think past the horrible pain in his leg. He was separated from the others. Separated from his aunt, and Rapunzel, and Eugene, and Cass, and Lance, and  _ Ruddiger.  _ The raccoon was probably losing his mind. They’d never been separated very long before, except that time he’d been kidnapped. But even then, he’d had Eugene. None of the others knew where he was. 

And here he was, helpless, in the arms of a stranger. He wasn’t about to struggle, knowing he couldn’t get anywhere on his own, and it would only cause him more suffering. Even if he managed to drag himself away and ignore the fierce burning in his leg, he’d probably die by himself. He had no choice but to accept what  _ seemed  _ like help, and hope he wasn’t killed anyways. 

“We’re here,” the stranger announced, and he twisted his head so he could see what he was talking about.  _ The Great Tree.  _ He couldn’t help the way his breath caught, eyes blown wide. He’d seen it the night before, but it was even bigger up close. A normal tree was like a piece of broccoli compared to this one. 

Luck seemed to be on his side, too, because  _ this was where his friends were headed.  _ All he needed to do was listen, and stay alive, and they’d find him!

Eventually the man eased him onto the ground, laying him against a wall. He hissed, eyes screwed shut, but he managed to withhold any cry of pain. He finally got a clear look at him, now, and was barely able to suppress his shock. This was the man from earlier. The one who had been chasing them. Who had been fighting with his aunt. 

His first instinct was to panic, but it wasn’t going to get him anywhere- he was at the stranger’s mercy. But the longer he looked at him, the more he felt he’d seen him… at least once. It was a long time ago, but those acidic green eyes were familiar. His gaze fell to the clasp of the man’s cloak, and it clicked. That was the Brotherhood crest. Which meant he was-

“Hector?” He groaned, wincing at the way his whole body shifted with the slight movement of his head. The man paused, regarding him almost curiously, before adopting a neutral stance, kneeling down in front of him. 

“I’m gonna have to put that back into place in order to splint it properly,” he explained gruffly, extending a gloved hand. “It’s gonna hurt like a bitch. Here, you can squeeze my arm if it hurts.” Varian hesitated, still not trusting himself to move, but he let his own hand fall onto the knight’s shoulder, squeezing it once. Hector readjusted his grip so Varian’s hand was around his sleeve properly, giving him a better angle to hold it, then reached carefully toward the leg. He looked once more to make sure Varian was ready, then both hands clasped around either side of the break. 

He popped it back in with a  _ crack,  _ and Varian cried out, squeezing his shoulder as hard as he could. Hector pulled out of his grip with a hiss, one hand rubbing at his shoulder. 

“ _ Shit,  _ kid. You’re stronger than you look.” Varian couldn’t even feel bad or embarrassed, head swimming from the renewed pain. Tears burned his eyes as he tried not to cry again, nails digging into the palms of his hands. Hector almost looked a bit guilty, slipping a gloved hand into his hold and letting him squeeze, face stoic and calm despite his slight wince. 

Eventually he started to run out of steam, shoulders slouching as he slumped into the wall behind him, eyes sliding closed. Hector released his hand gently, cradling his own to his chest when he knew the boy wasn’t looking. 

“So,” he hummed, standing up and walking away, returning with what looked like bandages. “Varian, right?”

“How did you-“

“The hair stripe,” he said with a shrug. “I may have only seen you once, but it’d be hard to forget a kid with multicolored hair.” He sat down beside him and started to clean the skin around the open wound, surprisingly gentle for such an intimidating warrior. “Quirin was losing his mind, trying to figure out why you had that thing. Thought it was magic, or some curse. Then your Mom steps in with her scientific explanations and says it’s a genetic mutation. Something about not being able to choose whether you had dark hair like your dad, or ginger like her. It was funny as hell, watching him panic over nothing.”

Varian laughed at the irony, only regretting it a little when another stab of pain came from his leg. His dad was about 14 years too early, worrying about curses. 

“So tell me,” Hector continued conversationally, watching him as he worked. “How did you end up in the middle of nowhere with a broken leg? And so close to the Great Tree?” 

This was an interrogation. He recognized this method, because it was the same way Adira asked him questions. Acting all friendly and chatting casually, getting information he let slip. His dad had even used the tactic a couple times in the past. He wasn’t all that phased. 

“I got lost,” he lied, priding himself in the one thing he probably shouldn’t- his ability to hide the truth. “My dad and I were traveling together, and we got separated.”

“Quirin left his comfy little farm?” Hector asked wryly, one brow quirking suspiciously. When Varian’s face didn’t change, he rolled his eyes. “Didn’t think he had it in him.”

“Why are you-“ Varian hissed and Hector eased him back down, giving him a look. 

“Don’t try to move.”

“Why are you out here?” Varian tried again, undeterred. The warrior glared at him, but it was clear the teen wasn’t going to just lay there and rest. 

“I’m the guardian of the Great Tree,” he explained, waving a hand to their surroundings. “I make sure nobody enters, and nobody leaves. It’s the only way to get through to the Dark Kingdom, and it’s my sworn duty to prevent that.” He finished splinting Varian’s leg and helped him sit up a little straighter, eyes trained on the wound for any sign of additional bleeding. 

“Why?”

“You sure do ask a lot of questions,” Hector huffed, frowning down at him. “I’m a member of the Brotherhood. Clearly, you know what the Brotherhood is.” He gestured to Varian’s chest and the boy’s gaze followed. The clasp of his coat. He was at least relieved it looked mostly untouched by his fall. He looked back up, nodding. “Each member of the Brotherhood has sworn to protect the Moonstone, and the royal family of the Dark Kingdom. It was King Edmund’s dying wish that we keep any from entering it. And besides, anyone taking possession of the stone would doom us all.”

“Oh.” The Moonstone. That was what they were out here for, wasn’t it? Hector probably wouldn’t like that. 

Footsteps drew his attention away from his rescuer, scanning the terrain behind the man, and his heart leapt into his throat. The rhino from earlier, and those badgermoles. The latter two growled at the sight of him, almost as though they recognized him even in his other skin. 

“Woah,” Hector soothed, standing to meet the animals halfway. “Don’t worry. This isn’t an intruder. He’s Quirin’s kid. He’s family.” Varian’s heart warmed at that.  _ Family.  _

Man, he loved his dad’s siblings. 

The badgermoles continued to growl, eyeing him with distrust, but another disapproving glare from Hector had them backing off and away. The rhino stayed right where he was, awaiting further instruction. 

“Sorry about that, kid,” Hector sighed, rolling his eyes. “Usually they back off easier than that.”

“It’s fine,” Varian mumbled, ducking his head so he couldn’t see his flushed face. He couldn’t exactly explain why they didn’t trust him without sounding insane. 

Instead of a continuation of the conversation, he felt arms wrapped around him, and he was swept off into bridal style before he even knew what was happening. He hissed, his leg groaning and disagreeing with the movement, but it wasn’t as bad as before. With the splint in place, it didn’t have as much room to move around. 

Hector carried him over to the rhino, and he started to get an idea of what was happening. 

“Wait-“

“You can’t walk, and I’m not carrying you around.”

“No-“ Hector dropped him on the creature’s back without another word, making sure he was secure in the saddle before patting the rhino’s flank. The animal stepped into motion, traveling at a slow pace beside him. Varian clung on like his life depended on it. Now he knew how Rapunzel felt last night. 

He swore he’d apologize the moment he saw her again.    
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I totally did just try to explain the hair stripe. No, it is probably not scientifically accurate. Yes, I am going to stick with it. 
> 
> Headcanons for my own AU include Varian being ridiculously strong and not looking it, and him not liking to ride large animals. The second one is just because it’s funny, since he IS a large animal. 
> 
> Hector only has a soft side for his nephew sorry not sorry. He loves his dumb science child.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hector doesn’t know anything about children and Varian gets the best bedtime story ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uncle-nephew bonding time!!

* * *

  
The Great Tree looked big on the outside. But on the _inside?_ It was endlessly large. Everywhere around them, wood curved into tunnels and ledges, giving it an almost maze-like appearance. Hector seemed to know where he was going, so as long as they stayed together he’d probably be fine, but if Varian was on his own? He’d be as good as lost forever. 

The ride was a bit uncomfortable. The saddle made it a bit better, but he didn’t believe rhinos were supposed to be riding animals, because every step made his whole body jerk. He’d been clinging on for dear life for a while, but now he was growing a bit tired, and his hands had loosened on the reins. He supposed that maybe Hector never had this problem, since he was always moving faster than this. The rhino probably wasn’t used to such a slow pace. 

Hector had been a gracious host, so far, if he didn’t count the forcing him to ride a rhinoceros part. He’d patched him up, given him something for the pain. (Though he could already feel it starting to wear off, the pain creeping back. Regular medicines didn’t seem to have a great effect on him anymore. He usually needed the stronger stuff from Rapunzel’s book). He was answering any questions he had, and that was impressive because he had a _lot._

Hector was sending him side-eyes now, slowing his pace a tad as he heard the boy’s words grow softer and drowsier. Each glance showed Varian’s head bobbing forward, only to jerk back up and continue on with his sentence. The kid was amazingly persistent, reluctant to let the sleep he clearly needed interrupt his chance to learn. 

“Here,” Hector said eventually, waving a hand. The rhino came to a halt and Varian jumped again, blue eyes snapping wide open. The warrior scooped his nephew into his arms without a word, earning a startled yelp from the teen, but he hardly paid it any kind. He carried him into what looked like a room, which was really just a smaller tunnel that came to a quick dead end with a curtain of vines as a door. He deposited him carefully on a pile of soft vegetation in the corner that had a strangely human imprint in it, the boy noted. Probably where he slept. 

_So cool._

“You should probably rest up a bit,” Hector suggested, sitting himself down on a rock nearby and pulling out what looked like a dagger, simply playing with it between his fingers. “Blood loss drains you an awful lot, I should know. And besides, we need you well rested for the morning.”

“What’s in the morning?”

“We’ll go find your dad.” Varian suddenly wasn’t quite as tired. 

“Oh.” Right. That. How was he gonna get around that lie? Maybe the others would show up before Hector took him to look for the father that was still back in Old Corona, more than half a year away? Varian shifted in the little human nest, hands anxiously playing with the edges of his coat. Hector regarded him curiously. 

“...are you still at that age where you need a bedtime story?” He asked carefully, wearing the look of a man who knew absolutely nothing about children. Varian opened his mouth to protest, _no, of course not,_ but this was _Hector._ Hector, of the Brotherhood. Hector, who probably had an entire treasure trove of stories about his dad. 

“Depends,” he answered cryptically, drumming his fingers on his stomach. “What kind of story?” Hector quirked a brow, looking almost amused. 

“Let me see.” The warrior stared hard at the far wall, deep in thought. His eyes shifted back to the alchemist. “Did your dad ever tell you the one about when we rescued the Queen from a wizard?”

“No,” Varian replied, eyes wide with awe. That already sounded amazing, and nothing like the father he knew. 

He wanted more than anything to understand the man who called him son. 

“Alright, then.” Hector moved so he was facing him, face scrunched in thought. “We were… early twenties, I think. No. Your dad and Adira were. I think I may have still been 19. It was way back, when King Edmund was still only a prince. We were newly assigned, only got our tattoos about a year before.” His uncle’s gaze had adopted that far away look, immersed in a memory. From the grin on his face, he could tell it was a good one. 

“Edmund and Rowena, the Queen, were still only courting then. She was a pretty thing. Kind, gentle. Edmund’s father gave his approval almost immediately. So that meant that, even before she was officially of the royal family, she was one of us. We were bound to protect her the same as the rest of them.” 

“Was?” Varian questioned, though he already had a guess as to why he used the past tense. 

“She died years ago,” Hector said wistfully. “The day their son was born. Not because of the kid, but that’s another story. This was years before that. The Dark Kingdom was still on the map, still thriving.” There was a spark in his uncle’s eyes as he reminisced fondly, pride obvious in his tone. He was clearly loyal to his kingdom even years after leaving. 

“There was a ball… I can’t remember what it was for anymore. But we were all there. Adira and I were trying to pressure Quirin into asking someone to dance, but he was always so shy when we were younger. He’d trip over his words the second he was in front of a dame. It was hilarious, when you considered how skilled a fighter he was. In combat, he was undefeatable. But on the dance floor, he was a stuttering mess.”

Varian couldn’t help but laugh, trying to compare the image his uncle had provided with the stoic farmer he was familiar with. Quirin, the village leader, afraid of women? At least he finally knew where he got his awkwardness from. 

“So we’re there, and Quirin’s getting all flustered. Adira’s laughing her head off, and I couldn’t even breathe anymore. Even Edmund and Rowena were laughing. Your poor dad was beet red. But then, all of a sudden, all the candles just went out. All at once. People were screaming and panicking. When Adira finally managed to light a candle, there was this eerie mist over the place. All sparkling and bright, almost glowing.” Hector gestured with his hands, fingers extended as he circled them around, and Varian waited with baited breath. His uncle paused, clearly for dramatic effect, and he found himself frozen with anticipation. 

“There was this figure. Their face was covered, and they spoke in this low, gravelly voice. Then they threw this magic dust, and everyone covered their eyes. When we looked again, Rowena was gone.”

“How did you find her?” Varian demanded, sitting up on his cushion. Hector just shot him a look. 

“I’m getting to that part,” he huffed. Varian ducked his head bashfully. “So, anyways. We were the best trackers in the kingdom. It wasn’t too hard to follow after them, especially since the wizard left this weird trail. There was this tang to the air that followed them, something sharp and unnatural.” 

“We managed to catch up with them within the day. He’d taken her to this old mill by the coast. It was lined with booby traps, but they couldn’t hold us back. Adira was the one who sprung most of them, if I recall. They were all like nothing we’d ever seen before, because, well, magic.” Varian nodded when he paused, urging him to continue. 

“When we finally got to where they were, we couldn’t see the Queen. It was just the wizard. He was waiting there, for us, in the center of that round room. His face was covered by a bandana and these round spectacles that made his eyes magnified and dark. He wore a hat that hung over them, tipped down to nearly his nose. Horrendous fashion sense, if you ask me.” He flapped his hand dismissively. “Anyways. It was two against one. Adira had gotten caught in the last trap, and was stuck trying to saw her way through a nearly indestructible block of ice with nothing but her sword. I was by your father’s side, but he looked at me and he said ‘I’ve got this. You go find her. I’ll hold him off for you.’ I argued with him, but your dad was nothing if not stubborn. So I left. He fought him by himself, sword against magic.” Again the warrior stopped, watching Varian’s reaction. The boy was practically on the edge of his seat. 

“And?” He prompted, a bit of strain to his voice. Clearly his dad survived, but it sounded like a dangerous situation. 

To his surprise, Hector cracked a smirk. 

“And I found the Queen. She was completely fine. Was sat down for dinner, actually. She explained the situation to me, and we rushed back out just in time to see Quirin on the ground, defeated. He wasn’t hurt, by any means, but his pride was. Especially when the wizard took off his hat, and long red hair fell out.” Hector snorted. “I’ll never forget his face. The ‘wizard’ who’d kidnapped Rowena turned out to be her cousin. Some 16 year old kid who decided she wanted to visit with her in the most _dramatic way possible._ Quirin was absolutely mortified. He got his ass _handed to him_ by a _girl._ ” He paused a moment, before shrugging. “A girl besides Adira,” he added.

“Did she face charges?”

“God, no. That was the most entertaining thing to happen at a ball in years. Rowena was in on it, too, so she couldn’t have. But that didn’t save Quirin’s dignity. The kid ended up hanging around more, after that. She was this sassy, spitfire redhead. She had a mouth that belonged to someone twice her age and size. She was tiny, too. Even once she grew up a bit, she was practically a dwarf. Dark Kingdom folks tend to be on the taller side, but she was from some other kingdom, and short even by their standards.” Again, his gaze fell on his nephew. “She was Quirin’s opposite in every way. She had these huge blue eyes that seemed like they could see into your very soul, where he had dark, stony brown ones. She devoted her life to science, which was what all that magic turned out to be. I’ve never met someone else that smart, and while Quirin’s always been a great strategist, he’s a bit… dim. They got along like a wild fire. She liked to push his buttons and remind him that she had and totally could kick his ass again. He saw her as this disrespectful kid; an annoying little thing that had invited herself into our group.” Varian was leaned forward now, eyes wide. Hector’s smirk softened into a gentle smile. (As gentle as someone who looked absolutely feral could manage, at least).

“So imagine how surprising it was when they ended up getting hitched, not even five years after.” Varian’s mouth fell open, taken off guard by that twist ending. 

“So… so she was…”

“Ulla,” Hector provided. “Your mom, yeah. It’s funny- it wasn’t just the hairstripe that made me recognize you. You look almost _exactly_ like her. The freckles, the… small stature. The eyes. You even talk like her. She never stopped asking questions, either.” 

Varian found himself at a loss for words. He’d… no one had ever said that to him before. No one had ever told him. They only had one painting of his mom, and it was with her eyes closed. That painting held _none_ of her personality, or her vibrance. It was two-dimensional, flat, posed. He hadn’t been old enough to remember anything about her before she was gone. 

_No wonder Dad always found it so hard to look at you, if you look exactly like her._

Hector’s smile had dropped, giving way for concern, and Varian realized a bit too late that his face was wet. _Oh._ Damn moon moods. 

His eyes flicked up to the wooden ceiling and a surge of panic shot through him. _How late was it?_

“You okay?” His uncle was still watching him worriedly, positioned to stand and walk over at a moment’s notice. 

“Yeah!” He bit his lip, wiping a hand over his eyes. “Yeah, I- I’m fine. I just… that was really nice to hear.” Hector watched him a bit longer, an unreadable look on his face. 

“So she’s gone, then?” Teary blue eyes stared back at him. 

“How’d you know?”

“You didn’t know the story,” he said simply, though there was a sad undertone to his voice. “She never would have let you grow up without hearing it. She told that story to everyone she got the chance to. Liked to rub it in Quirin’s face.”

“Oh,” Varian choked, ducking his head and rubbing more furiously at his eyes. 

A familiar ache ran up his spine, and the tears reached a standstill, giving way for sheer terror. 

Hector didn’t know. 

He didn’t know, and there was no way Varian would have enough time to explain everything. 

He was running out of time. 

_For the very first time since he’d been cursed, he was completely without anyone who knew what he was._

Panicking, his mind searched for something, anything, that would get his uncle out of the room. Maybe, if he wasn’t here when he changed, he wouldn’t know it was him. Maybe he’d be able to get away before he got back. 

_Fat chance, with his practically shattered leg._

“I-I’m actually kind of hungry,” he stuttered out, forcing down the wince on his face as the ache grew more persistent. If he could see the sky, he’d be able to see the full moon peeking over the horizon. 

“Oh, okay.” Hector stood, awkwardly patting the boy and completely missing the flinch that followed the touch. “I can do that. I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Gotcha.” Varian bit his lip _hard,_ watching his uncle leave the room and let the vines slide back into place behind him. The moment his footsteps were a safe enough distance away, Varian let out a pained gasp. It hadn’t hurt as badly in a while, but with his bones all out of place already, the shift was only making the pain worse. He could feel it almost hesitate over the broken tibia, confused on what to do with it, then just continue on. The fractured bone snapped out of place and he yelled, head flying back and nearly hitting the wall behind him. 

* * *

Hector made his way back to his nephew at a steady pace, a multitude of foods gathered in his pack. He wasn’t really sure what he liked. He didn’t look like much of a meat eater, but looks could be deceiving, so he’d kind of just grabbed everything. 

He stopped right outside the bedroom, practically frozen in place. There was heavy breathing coming from inside. Far too heavy to just be the small teen he’d left inside. Carefully, he unsheathed his wrist-mounted sword, stepping forward. He shot a look at his rhino, standing guard by the door. It was oddly still in the exact same place, undisturbed. 

“Varian?” He called, free hand reaching to snag the edge of the vibes. A growl was all he got in response. He ducked into a roll, sliding into the room and landing in a fighting position, sword arm extended. 

A beast covered in fur was right in front of him. It was large, menacing. Taller than even him. Red eyes stared him down blankly, entire frame heaving with each labored breath. A _wolf._

Hector sneered, blade at the ready, but his eyes caught something white and he hesitated. There were bandages around the creature’s leg. It seemed to be almost hunching inward, purposefully keeping weight off the appendage. 

He dropped the satchel, jaw going slack as his sword retreated into its sheath. 

“Holy _fuck.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh he knows, what’s he gonna do now?
> 
> And yes, I totally did just use Hector to give my own version of how Varian’s parents met. Reason he’s telling him and Adira never did is because I see him as more of an open book. While Adira won’t hold things from him, she won’t offer them up unless he asks. Hector’s just like “yeah, I have years of embarrassing stories about my brother, and here’s his teenage son right in front of me- it’s my time to shine.”
> 
> (Ulla and Eugene’s mom being cousins does make them also cousins I’m gonna do more with that later down the road don’t worry)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With his secret exposed, Varian has to deal with his uncle’s reaction to his condition. 
> 
> This... is not what he anticipated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the the delay in updating! I was a bit stuck for this chapter. But I think I’ve got a good handle on where it’s going from here. Enjoy!

* * *

  
Varian woke with a groan, feeling as though he’d been stretched like taffy. His leg was throbbing before he even opened his eyes, making it very clear that it had not miraculously fixed itself overnight. When he did pry them open, he was met with two sharp, acidic, neon eyes. 

He yelped, nearly falling backwards, but caught himself before he could. He turned back to whoever it was- his  _ uncle-  _ and just stared. He’d seen him. He knew what he was. It was obvious, even if he hadn’t remembered anything from the night before. He was already right there when he woke up. 

But the look on his face… it was nothing like he’d anticipated. It was a look of curiosity, of awe and wonder. The man looked completely out of his element, yet enthralled, wide eyes searching his nephew’s face. He daren’t reach out to him, but he was kneeled right in front of him. From what Varian could remember, that’d been how he’d stayed for most of the night. 

Unsure of what to say, Varian met his uncle’s eyes, mouth opening and closing like a fish. 

“That,” Hector said eventually, gaze not leaving their tense stare-off. “Had to be the  _ coolest  _ thing I’ve ever seen.”

“I- what?” Varian had been prepared for a lot of reactions. This was not one of them. 

“Fucking  _ awesome,”  _ Hector exclaimed, throwing his hands out excitedly. “You’re- you’re a werewolf, right?” He stood to his full, impressive height, spinning about. “How- that’s-“ He snagged his nephew underneath his arms and scooped him up, startling him enough that he didn’t even try to stop him. “ _ Wow. _ ”

“Y-you’re not mad?” Varian stuttered, eyes blown wide with sheer shock, small body practically dangling from the tall man’s hold. 

“Why the hell would I be mad?” Hector scoffed. “You can turn into a giant wolf. I would  _ kill  _ to be able to do that.” He set the boy back down, temporarily forgetting about his broken leg, and Varian hissed. “Shit, sorry.”

“It’s fine,” the alchemist assured him, sounding a bit surprised. He had weight on his leg. It still hurt, yeah, but it didn’t cause blinding pain like it had before. Hector seemed to notice it in his face, because he was on his knees again before Varian could even blink, lifting the boy’s bad leg up to examine it. 

“How’d you do that?” Varian felt his face heat up despite himself. He wasn’t used to being the center of attention like this. Especially not when someone was looking at him like how he’d look at an alchemical breakthrough. 

“S-sometimes I heal a bit faster.”

“Seriously?!” Hector lifted his leg higher to get a better angle and he flipped backward, crying out as his head neared the ground. His uncle just swooped him up, holding him upside down with one hand wrapped around his good ankle, and the other gently supporting his bad leg. 

“WOAH h-hey!” He yowled, arms flailing about. Hector seemed unbothered, peeling back his pants leg to inspect the wound. The bandages were still wrapped snug around his leg, as though he’d never been a 7 foot wolf. Hector poked the spot experimentally, and earned a yell and an attempted swat from his nephew. “It still  _ hurts! _ ”

“Incredible,” Hector mumbled, just holding the boy a bit further away as he tried to land a hit. “Those sorts of breaks take months, even  _ years  _ to heal. Yet yours is almost completely fixed within a day.” He made eye contact with the upside down teenager, unbothered by the glare he was being leveled with. “How does it work?”

Varian loathed the words that came out of his mouth next. 

“Magic,” he spat, mouth tasting foul around the word. He hated that it was his only explanation. He’d prided himself in his scientific approach for  _ so long,  _ but nothing short of magic could account for a 5 foot tall boy turning into a giant wolf. “A curse.”

Hector either didn’t pick up on his bitter tone, or he didn’t care. He was too fascinated by the whole thing to consider anyone ever  _ not  _ loving it. 

_ Yippee for him.  _

__ “A curse?” He asked curiously,  _ finally  _ setting him back down. He looked almost amused. “How’d  _ Quirin’s  _ kid get a  _ curse _ ? I was under the impression he’d never let you out of the house.” 

Funny, that was about what Adira had said too. 

“Oh, you know,” Varian said with a shrug. “Talked with an ancient wolf spirit, agreed to let it use me as a host, didn’t really think it through. Nothing too crazy.”

“Nice.” Varian’s mouth practically fell open.  _ Nice? NICE?  _ Hector was taking this all shockingly well, seeming even almost  _ jealous.  _

His uncle was insane. There was no other explanation. 

Varian opened his mouth to tell him just that, but something stopped him. He could see it in his uncle’s face too. All of a sudden, all the energy was sapping out of him. The air had grown heavy, weighing him down and making his bones groan under the pressure. The pain in his leg flared again, and he found himself reduced to his knees, entire world spinning around him. Somewhere in his mind, the wolf whined, as drowsy as he was. 

Yellow-green eyes appeared in his blurred vision again, looking far more concerned than before. He tried to open his mouth to reassure them, but all that came up was bile, and he clamped it shut before any could escape. He felt woozy and ill. He watched as the ground grew closer, nearly meeting it with his face, but hands caught him before he could cause any damage to his nose. 

“-arian. Varian!” Fingers snapped in front of his face and he flinched, bile forcing its way back up his throat and spewing out in a harsh cough. “Kid, look at me. Focus on me, okay?”

“Ngh,” he groaned, squeezing his eyes shut in an attempt to stop the spinning. 

And then, as suddenly as it had started, the sensation was gone. The air was light again, cool against his skin. He blinked back into coherency, staring up at his uncle with confusion, and maybe fear. What was that?

“You good?” Hector asked hesitantly. Varian nodded, and the man offered both hands. He gripped his forearms and hoisted himself onto unsteady feet, eyes glued to the ground. Eventually, he felt confident in his ability to stand, and he again looked to his uncle. 

“What was that?” His uncle, for the first time since before he’d realized he was his uncle, looked furious. 

“Those damned travelers,” he snarled. “They made it.” Varian felt a spike of fear in his heart.  _ There had been doubt that they would? _

“W-what do you mean?”

“I mean, they went off the cliff,” he explained harshly. “I thought we were in the clear. But evidently, they survived. They’re here, in the tree. Only the Sundrop could have used that incantation.”

_ Rapunzel. _

He should have felt relieved. His friends were here. His aunt was here. They were alive. But then, what had that been? How had  _ Rapunzel  _ been able to do that?

“Wait!” He cried, just as his uncle released him to walk away. “Where are you going?”

“To deal with the problem.” 

_ Deal with- _

__ “No!” He cried, hobbling after him and ignoring the burning pain that accompanied the motion. “No, wait! Uncle Hector, maybe they don’t mean any harm. Maybe- maybe they’re just passing through!” Hector faltered for only a moment, looking back at him over his shoulder with soft surprise, before it hardened back into that fierce determination. 

“We can’t let them,” he grunted. “Entry to the Dark Kingdom is strictly forbidden. I am to do anything necessary to keep them from it.”

“No no no,” Varian rambled, speeding up a little. “Please, you don’t have to hurt anybody. I’m sure we can reach an understanding-“

“Stay here,” his uncle interrupted, throwing a hand back. The bearcats appeared out of seemingly nowhere, blocking off Varian’s path. 

“No! NO!” He fought against them, trying to push his way past their flanks, but they were unmovable. 

“I’ll be right back,” Hector growled, and then he was off, quick as a whip. 

“NO!” Varian cried, shoving again. “UNCLE HECTOR! Please, don’t!” He roared, ramming into the bearcats, but all it did was annoy them. They both hissed in warning, leveling him with untrusting glares. He glared right back. “Let me through! I can’t let him- he can’t-“ Varian’s head swam. His uncle, his aunt. His friends. He cared about all of them. But they were about to go head to head, and he had no idea who would win. He didn’t  _ want  _ anybody to win. Because if somebody won, somebody lost, and he could  _ not  _ lose anybody. 

He growled threateningly. This only served to piss off his furry guards, as they finally recognized him from the day before. They snarled, but didn’t move- no doubt caught between their anger and their loyalty to their master. 

“That’s right,” he gloated, slightly out of breath as his head still spun with anxiety. “I’m the guy that kicked your asses. You!” He pointed to the one on the right, still sporting a slight limp. “I shoved you off the roof.” The bearcat growled, fixing him with a death glare, and he drew himself up to as full a height as he could manage. “What are you gonna do about it?”

The left broke first, snapping its jaws at him and sending him back a few steps.  _ What was his plan again?  _ He nearly tripped over his own feet, but didn’t let the fear show on his face. Animals like this could smell fear. Neither of his adversaries were afraid of him. 

_ This was a stupid plan.  _

The other bearcat leapt into action, and he stumbled away. He didn’t have a realistic chance against them. He couldn’t change, he’d just changed  _ back,  _ and he’d only done it on purpose once, anyways. Even if he wanted to, he was far too tired and drained. He was just regular Varian,  _ less  _ than with his bad leg. 

_ This was a really stupid plan.  _

“Too slow!” He taunted, ignoring his mind screaming at him to  _ shut up.  _ The other jumped, and he dodged, letting it land a few feet away. Part of the path was clear. 

Heart racing, he clambered up onto his feet and took off, forcing his aching legs as fast as they could carry him. He heard them yowl behind him, furious at the deception, and quickly followed on his tail. He couldn’t outrun them. Not like this. 

Eyes scanning the terrain, he spotted a low hanging vine nearby. Thanking his light weight and lean form, he launched himself into the air, snagging it meer inches from the end. He climbed as quickly as he could, just out of reach of the snapping jaws below him. He only had a second to stick his tongue out before they started climbing the walls of the tree, and he had to shuffle up the vine onto the branch. 

“Okay,” he mumbled to himself, balancing on the branch and rummaging through his pockets. “Okay, okay. I’ve got- what have I got?” He didn’t have a lot on him. Most of his stuff was in his bag on the caravan- which, if it had gone over a cliff, meant it was probably gone. He had a few less reactive chemicals on his person, but nothing useful. He only had the ingredients for the dissolving agent for his goo bombs, and maybe one of his glowing solutions. 

_ Oh, wait. _

He grabbed a handful of ingredients and started mixing them, throwing glances over his shoulder as the bearcats grew closer. It wouldn’t last long, but  _ maybe,  _ if he could get just a small explosion, it would blind them long enough for him to slip away. He had everything mixed except for the reactant when he felt the branch shift, drooping a little under the added weight. 

“Just a second!” He called over his shoulder, slipping his goggles down over his eyes. The bearcats snarled, growing closer, and he slipped the last drop into the vial, before letting it roll across the wood in their direction. He hurried back down the vine as feral cries rang out above him, keeping his eyes down. Even with his goggles, the bright flash made his eyes sting a little. 

The moment his feet touched the ground, he was off, half-running half-limping after his uncle. He only had to pray that he wasn’t too late. 

He came to a skidding halt when he rounded a corner and found a large open area, big enough to hold a small building. Hector was there. 

So was Adira. And Rapunzel, and Cassandra, and Eugene, and Lance. They were in a standoff, weapons raised but not engaged. He hurried to hide behind the nearest trunk, breathing heavily. 

_ Oh no.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, the gang’s all together again. This can’t end well. 
> 
> (I based Varian’s reaction to the decay incantation on my personal belief that the moon incantations, and the moonstone itself, would have different effects on werewolves because... y’know, the moon. Kinda wish they’d maybe explored that in canon? Doesn’t matter now, though. Canon is what I want it to be.)
> 
> Also Hector has a weakness for Varian calling him Uncle. He’s soft for his wolf nephew.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adira and Hector have an argument. Surprisingly, it’s Cass who plays mediator.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’M SO SORRY I DISAPPEARED. I’ve been focused on other fics and neglecting this one...
> 
> To make it up to you I’m going to double post this week (maybe even triple). I’m gonna finish this fic up for y’all. Then you get to see the next one soon! ;)

* * *

_Think._ He had to _think._ Everyone was right behind him, ready to fight. Knowing his aunt and uncle, ready to _kill_ was more likely. Family meant both everything and nothing to them. They’d slit each other’s throats if given the chance. 

_And, if it was Hector who won, quite possibly the others’ throats as well._

“Step aside, Hector,” Adira ordered, voice lacking the usual calm it possessed. She sounded tired, strained. Angry. 

“You know I can’t do that, _Adira,”_ Hector spat, tossing the name like something vile. 

“I’m in no mood for games,” his aunt threatened. “You’ve cause us enough trouble already. Either step aside, or meet the end of my blade.” His uncle cackled. 

“I’m not afraid of you, sister.”

“You should be. Because you’ve done the _one_ thing that can set off my temper.”

“And that is?”

“ _You killed our nephew.”_

Panic sent Varian’s heart up into his throat, blood rushing in his ears. They thought he was dead _._ Rapunzel, Eugene, Cass and Lance. They all… they all thought he was _dead._

Acting on pure adrenaline, Varian leapt from his hiding spot, sprinting forward and stopping right between the two adults with his hands held up. 

“STOP!” He yelled, immediately out of breath. “I’m fine! You don’t- you don’t need to fight!” To his right, Hector stared at him with wide, confused eyes. He didn’t even get the chance to look to his left. A sword clattered against the floor, and strong arms encompassed him, knocking him back and putting strain on his bad leg. A calloused hand ran through his hair, holding his face to an armored shoulder. Varian stayed very still, surprised by the sudden gesture, but Adira just held him closer. His mouth opened, then closed. Wordlessly, he leaned into the hug, lifting his (significantly shorter) arms to wrap around her waist. 

“What’s the meaning of this?” Hector demanded, and just like that the moment was over. _Shit._ His uncle was exactly where he’d left him, confusion turning to realization, then anger. He pointed an accusing finger at him. “You lied to me. You’re not here with Quirin.”

“I- I didn’t want you to be mad, I’m sorry, I-“

“Don’t you touch him,” Adira growled, pulling him closer and out of the man’s reach. “Don’t even think about it. You’re the one that pushed him off that cliff.”

“What the hell are you-“ Hector trailed off, gaze falling to the bandages on the boy’s leg. His face quickly drained of color. “You fell off a _cliff?”_

“Your bearcats shoved him off,” Adira corrected, glaring up at him from where she was still protecting Varian with her body. “All the way from up there. From where you chased us.”

“Shit, kid,” Hector breathed, taking a step back. “I- I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

“I forgive you!” Varian cried, squirming in his aunt’s hold. “Really, I do!”

“Why didn’t you tell me?!” He demanded, swapping back to anger. “I asked what happened to your leg!”

From somewhere behind them, someone else finally joined the argument. 

“Wait, what happened to his leg?” Eugene interrupted, voice shrill with panic. Varian ducked his head, trying not to look anyone in the eye. _He was so screwed._

“Varian,” Adira said suddenly, calm and collected as ever. “Show me.”

“Aunt Adira, I-“

“Show me your leg.” It wasn’t a request. It was an order. Slowly, he lifted his pant leg, displaying the bloodied bandages wrapped around his calf. Adira gently lifted it to see it better, releasing him when he hissed in pain. Eyes closed, she lowered her head, exhaling harshly. 

“I healed,” he said quietly. “It was broken, but I’m fine now. It healed. I’ll be good as new within a day.”

“Brother,” Adira addressed instead, standing to her full, impressive height. “Step aside, and let us through to the Dark Kingdom.” Hector’s gaze flicked between his sister and his nephew, hesitant, for once. Eventually, his face fell stony again, that ever constant determination playing over his features. 

“I will never let you, or anyone, into the Dark Kingdom. It is my _sworn duty_.”

“Uncle Hector,” Varian protested, trying to get back over to him, to talk things through with him _civilly,_ but an extra set of arms wrapped around him and pulled him back. He recognized the material of Eugene’s vest immediately, and tried to struggle. “Eugene, no. Let me go. I can stop them.”

“Kid,” he said, and he sounded tired and sad as well. His eyes betrayed him and he looked away from his aunt and uncle, up toward his friend. Eugene’s eyes were red rimmed and bleary, like he’d been crying. Guilt tugged at Varian’s heart. But he had to get back over there. Only he could stop bloodshed. 

“Eugene _please,_ ” he begged, tugging against his hold. Another set of arms joined the first, wrapping him in a strong hug that lifted him off the ground. Blonde hair obscured his view of the fight about to break out, and he started to flail, shoulders shifting back and forth as he tried to slip away. “No, no. Stop it. Let me go. Let me go!”

“Varian,” Rapunzel whispered, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “You’re safe.”

“No! No, I need to stop them! AUNT ADIRA! UNCLE HECTOR!” The boy flailed and cried, clawing at the couple’s arms with short, blunt nails. Across the way, the two warriors locked gazes, tuning out the sound of their nephew’s desperate cries. Swords raised.

And met, a third sword catching between them and forcing them apart. The adults actually stumbled back, startled by the intervention, while Cassandra stood her ground, sword still extended. Her glare traveled between the two, a mix of sad, annoyed, and judgmental. 

“We do _not_ need this right now,” she snapped, glancing over at the boy who’d frozen, staring at her with wide eyes. “Violence… violence isn’t the answer.” She sent him a short nod, before turning her gaze back to the warriors. “So stand down, right now.”

“Short Hair,” Adira warned, eyes squinted with impatience, and Hector laughed aloud. 

“You think you can take us? _Us?_ You’re just a kid, a handmaiden. A _Lady in Waiting.”_

“This _Lady in Waiting_ isn’t about to wait around for you two to grow up and talk like mature adults,” Cass said smoothly, shifting her glare to him. His confidence faltered for only a moment, before dropping into a scowl. “Now, why don’t we just sit and talk about this? Swords _down._ ”

To everyone’s great surprise, the warriors complied, swords returning to their sheaths. They glared at each other, fists at their sides, but neither began the conversation. _But at least they were going to have a conversation._

“Fine,” Adira said shortly, glancing to Cassandra. “Tell me, child, why should I spare his life after what he’s done? Why not cut him down now, and spare us the trouble along the rest of the way?” Hector growled, going to take a step forward, and Cass’s sword turned to point toward him. She raised her eyebrow, daring him to continue, and he slunk back. 

“I’ll tell you why,” she said, not taking her eyes off the man. She nudged her head to the side, in the direction of where Varian had stopped struggling in his friends’ arms, watching with huge, anxious eyes. “Family. You’re family. He’s family. How do you think your nephew will think of the victor if one of you kill the other? Hm? How do you think _Quirin_ will react when he finds out you committed murder in front of his young, impressionable son?”

Somehow, this seemed to be the right thing to say, as both of the adults deflated, Hector frowning at the floor as Adira crossed her arms. Her withering glare stayed pinned to the exposed top of his head, but it lost some of its heat. Carefully, Cass lowered her arm, keeping the sword tight in her grip as a warning. 

They were in a room of gasoline, and Cass had managed to snuff out the fuse. 

At least until Varian started squirming again, hearing something they could not, and two enraged animals came bounding into the room. The bearcats were snarling and howling, clawing blindly at the air. 

“What the hell happened?!” Hector yelled, going to approach his animal companions, but Cass stopped him with her sword. Varian cursed under his breath, sheepishly ducking his head. 

“I- I intended it to be _temporary,”_ he insisted, finally managing to break free of his friends’ arms and stand on his own two feet. “Honest, I didn’t mean to- to _hurt_ them.”

Clearly, the blinded animals didn’t agree with this assertion, hurrying to throw him off his feet. Varian’s back hit the ground, knocking a harsh breath from his lungs.

And just like that, a full blown fire was lit. 

Adira went to help her nephew, retrieving her sword again, but Hector cut her off halfway. Her glare would be enough for anyone else to back down, but not him. 

“Move,” she demanded. 

“Don’t hurt them,” he shot back, raising his own blade threateningly. 

“Tell them not to hurt _him.”_ Hector glanced over his shoulder at the fight, at where the animals and his nephew were tussling on the ground. He looked terribly conflicted. 

“I-“ He didn’t get the chance to make his decision as Adira surged forward, swinging for his head. He blocked the attack, slipping easily into his own fighting stance. 

“Even after all that, you still don’t prioritize his safety!”

“I don’t mean that!”

“Is there anything else you _could_ mean?!”

“Cut it out!” Cass cried, going to intervene again. “Hey, stop! Now is not the time!” Her blade caught between theirs and it shattered, sending shards flying. She ducked, cradling the broken hilt to her chest, before daring to look up. Both warriors sported cuts on their exposed skin, but they hardly paid it any mind. They were fully immersed in the fight. There was no talking them out of it now. 

“Hang on, kid!” Eugene cried, going with Lance to try and pry the wild animals off the teen. They were strong, but without their sight, all they had to tell what was happening was their hearing and their sense of smell. They’d locked onto Varian’s scent, and hardly even noticed the two men tugging at their fur. 

“Can you slip out underneath?” Lance asked, breaths heavy as he pulled against the weight of the animal. 

“Does it look like I can?” Varian quipped back, desperately shoving at the creatures and keeping those claws away from his face. 

“Boys!” Rapunzel yelled, looping her hair over a branch. The ends landed close enough for them to grab, and each man took to tying the unbreakable hair around the bearcats’ paws. When they were sure it was secure, the princess backed up, dragging her hair with her, and the makeshift pulley hoisted the animals up into the air. Varian hurried to shuffle back, standing on shaky feet. He huffed out a laugh, ears buzzing and head spinning. 

“That wasn’t fun,” he joked weakly, running at his arms. 

“Varian, watch out!” Cass’s warning came a moment too late as her body was thrown towards him, shoved away from the sword fight. They collided, throwing off his balance and sending him stumbling back-

-right off the edge of the platform they were on. 

Varian screamed, arms flailing for something to grab onto, and Cass caught him with one hand, the other looped around a small branch. She grunted, tightening her grip as his fingers started to slip from her gloved ones. 

“Hang on!” She yelled, trying to gain enough traction to sit up and take him with her. Her stomach was pressed against the wood, legs sprawled behind her. She could only see Varian’s face over the ledge, the rest dangling beneath him. He looked terrified. He’d already fallen off a cliff, she remembered. But this one… she couldn’t see a bottom. 

“I’m trying!” He cried, both hands practically digging into her wrist. His feet kicked and swung, nearly hitting the wall a couple times before bouncing back off. 

“Don’t do that!” She said quickly. “It’s making you slip!”

“Sorry!” Behind her, Cass heard wood creaking, then snapping. Rapunzel’s startled cry was followed by a sudden weight against her back, pressing down. She gasped, squeezing her eyes shut. The weight lifted, but then she was being pushed toward the edge, putting even more strain on her arm. 

“No!” With a final shove, she was forced off the platform, falling along with a screaming Varian. Her hand was still wrapped around his, but it was pointless now. The ledge where their friends were was getting further and further away, the light disappearing above them. Somewhere, there was yelling, and then-

And then the next thing she knew, she was opening her eyes to a lot of green. Vines everywhere, up and down the walls. Some were tangled around her feet and suspending her upside down. She cursed, hoisting herself up and grabbing the knife from her boot to sever the thin coils. She dropped gracelessly on her back, smacking her head, but _hey,_ at least she was alive. Groaning, she climbed to her feet, looking around. 

“Cassie!” She turned quickly, spying Varian suspended a few feet away. He didn’t look hurt (more than before), thankfully, but he was caught in far more vines than she had been. He struggled and pulled, but they didn’t budge. 

“Don’t move, Varian,” she said calmly. “I’ll get you out.” Her hand reached to the sheath on her back, before remembering the sad fate of her sword. Sighing, she patted herself down. She didn’t have anything strong enough for those vines. 

From out of the corner of her eye, she caught a faint blue glow. A spear. A simple, glowing spear. It was planted right in the middle of a large plant, burning away at it. 

_That could work._

“Hold still,” she called over her shoulder, hopping over stray vines and approaching the weapon. “I’ll have you down in a second.” She reached for the spear, wrapped her hands around it, and pulled. 

  
  


_Green._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no Cass don’t touch the glowy thing oh dear
> 
> This is gonna be fun.
> 
> Favorite line of the chapter: “This Lady in Waiting isn’t about to wait around for you two to grow up and talk like mature adults.”
> 
> You tell ‘em Cass.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stuff from canon actually happens, but with real, bad consequences this time around. 
> 
> Nobody is having a good time. Literally nobody.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALRIGHT JUST GOTTA SAY THIS
> 
> SEE IN THE TAGS THERE IS NO MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH. NO ONE ACTUALLY DIES. People may THINK certain people die, but NOBODY ACTUALLY DIES. 
> 
> MKAY?
> 
> Mkay. 
> 
> (Please don’t kill me)

“-my God, Cass-“

“-arian!-“

“-ease, don’t-“

The world was swimming in green. Distorted. Everything was distorted. Reality spun on its axis, whirling around like a drunken sailor on roller skates. Something whispered, echoing within her mind, feeding her  _ something.  _ Anger. Anger at what? It wasn’t so much a feeling, just an… entity. Just there. 

Where was she?

Her head swam, mind turning to mush and sloshing around in her skull. There was an odd tingling sensation in her limbs, her chest, her stomach. Her whole body. It was like, she wasn’t quite there, but she was at the same time. Separate yet connected. Not quite… plugged in properly. 

Then, burning. 

The stench was the first thing she was aware of. The smell of burning skin. It was a scent she’d had the misfortune of encountering once or twice, when one of the guards was hurt badly enough to need a wound cauterized. It was something one couldn’t easily forget. But this… this was far worse. It was strong, pungent. Foul. 

The heat was the second thing, flaring at her fingertips and traveling up her arm. It fried her nerves and set her mind ablaze, wiping away the distant feeling and tossing her right back into her body. A wail built in her chest, echoing in her throat and bursting from her vocal chords. Hot, flaming pain like nothing she’d ever experienced danced along her fingers and up her hand, spiraling around her skin in a tight embrace. 

Then nothing. 

* * *

“-ss. Cass! CASS!” Hands clutched at her shoulders, not so gently stirring her from unconsciousness. Cassandra cried out, biting her lip as every sensation returned at once. The smell of rot still hung heavy in the air. 

“Rapunzel, honey, don’t-“

“CASS!” Her eyes flew open, before screwing shut again. Everything hurt. She hissed, arching back and away from the hands that were desperately trying to bring her back to reality. For a moment, she slipped under again, but another shake jolted her back, eyes fluttering open. Rapunzel’s wide, terrified eyes were the first thing she saw. The moment she saw she was awake, the princess wrapped her in a tight hug, sending another wave of pain over her. 

“Raps,” she rasped, pushing weakly, only to shriek in pain. Bleary eyes rested on a blackened shape, not quite registering what it was. On a whim, she tried flexing her fingers, and the shape twitched. 

Her brain stalled, wide eyes staring down at it. 

_ She was going to be sick.  _

Her hand, her dominant, sword wielding hand, was a mangled mess. The skin was charred and blackened, so burned that it hardly bled. Bone could be seen under the flaking shell left behind, bits of muscle melting and stretching like chewing gum within. 

She lurched forward, gagging, and Rapunzel’s hands flew back. Stronger, sturdier ones replaced them, holding her steady as her head spun again. The sight was enough to drown out the terrible pain, sending her stomach rolling. 

“Cass,” Eugene said, rubbing her shoulders gently. “Cass, it’s okay. Don’t- don’t look at it.”

“W-what-“ she choked, mouth going dry. “What the _ hell happened?” _

__ “Cass, I’m so sorry,” Rapunzel cried, leaning into her frame of vision again. “I- I didn’t know what to do. You were- the tree, a-and-“ Both her hands clasped over her mouth, tears breaking free of her eyes. 

“The tree took over your mind,” Eugene explained, holding Cass steady as she swayed. “When you pulled out that spear, it… possessed you, basically. Used your body like a puppet. You-“

“Where’s Varian?” She interrupted, trying to peer around them. “He was down there with me. Where is he?” A sick dread was settling in her stomach, steering her attention away from her own injury. If she was in this bad a state, was he-?

“He’s… fine,” Eugene said, mouth twisting into a grimace. “You didn’t hurt him.”

“ _ Where is he?” _

__ Eugene sighed, helping her sit up and pointing across the way. They were on a ledge, overlooking a large gorge full of wreckage that looked suspiciously like the tree they’d been in. A few feet away, Lance was sitting beside a still figure, letting their head rest in his lap.  _ Varian.  _ He was terribly pale and fragile looking, with his eyes closed and his body laying limp. A familiar raccoon was curled up on his chest, rising and falling with the boy’s shallow breaths. 

“What happened to him?” She asked, voice hushed and startled. 

“The incantation. Knocked him out, somehow. He’s got a pulse, but he hasn’t woken up.” Cass tried to stand, but Eugene kept her low to the ground, shaking his head patiently. “Don’t. He’ll be fine. Right now it’s  _ you  _ we need to worry about.”

“I’m fine,” she dismissed, going to stand again. The former thief huffed, rolling his eyes, and he kicked her legs out from under her. She yelped, falling back, and he caught her before she could hit the ground. She glared at him. “Do that again, and you’re dead.”

“Yes, I’m sure you’d be able to take me out right now,” he drawled, helping her sit again. “We’ve got to get that thing wrapped, before it gets infected.”

“Might be a little late for that,” she grumbled, pointedly not looking at the offending limb. Beside her, Rapunzel smoothed out her skirt, wiping at her eyes. She was frowning in Varian’s direction, brow furrowed. When she noticed Cass’s eyes on her, she forced a smile, turning so her knees were pointed toward her. 

“Are you, uh, are you feeling any better?” She asked weakly. A sarcastic reply came to mind, but Cass squashed it down. Her best friend looked one second away from a breakdown. 

“Sure,” she agreed, arm curled toward her chest. “So, uh, what exactly- happened? Something about the tree?”

“Oh!” Rapunzel began fiddling with a strand of her hair, twirling it around her fingers. “It, um, it used you to- to…” She cleared her throat. “Well, it seemed like you were trying to… to kill us. All of us.”

“...oh.”

“But it wasn’t your fault!” She said quickly. “I know it wasn’t. Eugene was right, you were a- a  _ puppet.  _ It wasn’t you. You didn’t mean to…”

“To what?” Rapunzel glanced over her shoulder, gazing into the hole where the Great Tree once stood. It was then that she noticed the absence of a few people. “Where are Adira and Hector?” The princess winced, and that feeling of dread returned. “Raps?”

“They went down with the tree,” she whispered, hardly loud enough to hear, but Cass heard it as though she’d yelled. “They… they were trying to help us all get out safely. They brought up the rear, but when the place came down, they didn’t-“ She bit her lip, taking a thicker section of hair to pull at. “They didn’t make it out.”

“I killed them,” Cass surmised, surprised at the calm tone of her own voice. Her heart was pounding in her chest, making her ears ring.  _ Didn’t make it out.  _ Varian’s aunt and uncle. God, she couldn’t do that to him. Couldn’t take his family from him. He loved them. 

“No!” Rapunzel yelled, suddenly rounding on her, eyes full of tears. “No you didn’t! I told you, the tree was possessing you! And by the time it fell apart, you were already free of it! We were already running  _ away!” _

“And how did  _ that  _ happen? How did I get free?”

“I used the decay incantation!” The fight in her friend’s eyes left, replaced with horrified guilt. “I- I only wanted to burn away the vines. I was trying to separate you from them. But then you- you tried to reach for me, a-and…” She turned away, hair almost fully wrapped around her hands. “And it burned you. I’m so sorry, Cass. So,  _ so  _ sorry.”

Cass didn’t respond. She stared into the gorge, into where, presumably, Varian’s aunt and uncle lay dead or dying. Suddenly, the pain in her hand didn’t seem as drastic. It was still far worse than anything she’d ever experienced, but maybe… maybe she deserved it. 

“‘T’s fine, Raps,” she mumbled, curling in on herself. Her best friend hiccuped through tears beside her, wiping at her face to try and cover up her own misery, but she did nothing to comfort her. She just stared, at the gorge, at Varian, at what she’d done. This was going to ruin them all, she knew it. And it was her fault. 

* * *

Hours passed, and everything only worsened. Lance and Eugene managed to fish the caravan out of the river with the help of Max and Fidella, but it was in no state to travel, let alone be lived in. They ended up having to find a spot in the forest where they were far enough from prying eyes, so they could take a couple days to try and fix it. That meant hours of walking there, and hours of tension. 

Varian still hadn’t woken up. His head bobbed as Lance carried him, cradled like a small child within his arms. Occasionally, a soft snore would escape his lips, but nothing more. It was concerning that the boy hadn’t woken, but they also dreaded the moment he did. Unconscious, he was blissfully unaware of the horrible events that had taken place. Awake, they’d have to deal with a whole new problem. 

Cass was getting worse. After about half an hour of walking, she’d begun to sway, eyelids drooping and chin dipping down to her chest. Her forehead shined with sweat, and her naturally pale face was flushed with sickly color. Her bandaged hand stayed tucked close to her chest, away from any theoretical harm, but the damage had clearly already been done. By the time they’d set up camp, she could hardly stand, breathing harshly and leaning against the waterlogged caravan. 

And Rapunzel could only watch. 

She sat beside Eugene at the fire, providing ingredients as he needed them while he prepared a meager meal with what they had left. Cass had excused herself from dinner, electing to sit against a nearby tree and try to read a book. From where she was seated, she could see her struggling with the pages, squinting down at the words and not quite comprehending them. To the other side, Lance sat without his vest, which was balled up under Varian’s head. The boy was nearly covered in his coat, which they’d removed to use as a blanket. He looked almost like he was simply asleep, peaceful and calm after a long day. But his face still had that pale, death kissed look that had plagued all the others when they’d been exposed to the decay incantation. For him, the effects seemed to linger, keeping him down and weak. 

“Blondie?” Rapunzel looked up, meeting her boyfriend’s gaze. He’d stopped stirring the pot, watching her with a thoughtful look. She flushed, averting her eyes. 

“Sorry,” she mumbled, holding up another ingredient. “Distracted.” He hesitated, hand outstretched to accept it, before taking it and holding it over the pot. 

“Understandable,” he said, half shrugging. He finished with the ingredient and stirred for a moment, before turning back to her. “You wanna talk about it?”

“Not much to talk about,” she dismissed. “Not unless you count nearly killing two of my best friends, and letting two other innocent people die.”

“I wouldn’t call Hector  _ innocent,  _ but, hey, that might be kind of disrespectful for me to say.” He cleared his throat, turning to face her fully. “None of that was your fault.”

“I-“

“It wasn’t  _ anyone’s  _ fault,” he continued, holding his hand up to stop her. “Not yours, not Cass’s, not Varian’s.  _ Might  _ be those bearcats’ fault, you can blame them. But nobody else. It was just a bad turn of events. None of it was intentional.”

“Varian said he thought the spear might stop the vines,” she argued. “He told me, and I ignored him. None of this would have happened if I’d just listened.”

“Or, maybe it wouldn’t have ended up working, and we’d all be dead,” he countered. “Varian’s the smartest guy I know, but even he’s not infallible.”

“He won’t even wake up, Eugene,” she hissed, holding a hand over her mouth. “He just dropped, like a deadweight, and I didn’t even help him. I didn’t even flinch. He could have gotten burned too.”

“But he didn’t. He didn’t, and he’s fine, and he’ll wake up. Lord knows he needs a nap.”

“Cass could  _ die.” _

__ “She’s not gonna-“

“Do you know how bad burn wounds can be?” She interrupted, dropping her voice. “And infections? I don’t know if you noticed, but we’re in the middle of nowhere, and all our supplies are ruined or gone.” She ran a hand through her blonde locks, staring at the smudges of red still staining it near the ends. “My hair- my hair didn’t work. How are we going to help her get any treatment?”

“We’ll figure something out,” he concluded, confident in his answer. 

“ _ How?  _ How do you know it’ll be okay? How do you know any of this will be okay?”

“Because I have hope,” he said gently. “I have hope that it’ll be alright, and that’s all I can really do. We’ll find a way around all of this, we always do. Besides, Cass and Varian are just about the most unkillable people I have ever met. They’ll bounce back.” He reached to rub her back, pressing their foreheads together. “You wanna go for a walk? To clear your head a little?”

“I dunno,” she sighed, glancing to the fire. “Don’t we need to-?”

“Lance can watch it.” He stood, reaching to take her hands and pull her onto her feet. “Come on, Sunshine. Just for a second. Let’s just step away.” Rapunzel let out a huff, looking to the side. 

“Fine,” she relented. “Just for a second.”

Satisfied, he looped his arm with hers, leading her away from the site with a nod to his friend, who nodded back. 

And they really were only gone for a few minutes, half an hour tops. 

But when they got back, all they could hear was yelling. Cass and Lance, arguing over…  _ something.  _ Lance sounded truly angry, and a bit scared. It took a lot to make the man mad, and so Eugene tugged Rapunzel along behind him, reentering the clearing where the fire was dying away. 

“What’s going on?” He demanded, eyes trained on his best friend. 

“She  _ chopped  _ her _ goddamn arm  _ off!” He shouted, gesturing hysterically toward the woman. And, sure enough, there she stood, with a bloody sword at her feet and a towel pressed to the end of what was left of her forearm. She glared at the taller man, defiant even as her face rapidly lost color. 

“It wasn’t the whole arm,” she argued, nodding to the appendage. “Just the ruined part.”

And just before chaos could erupt, a million questions and exclamations hanging in the air, Varian stirred. 

And he woke up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: writes actually healthy relationships unlike canon, makes everyone love each other and act like family
> 
> Also me: haha but what if I just broke that
> 
> (And I’m sure you’re all wondering what’ll happens to those lovely presumed dead characters, the honest answer is I’m not sure. Currently still trying to think how they’d tie back in. Just know we will continue to operate assuming they’re dead for the foreseeable future.)
> 
> Also yes Cass is 100% that dramatic bitch that is like oh shit my arm’s messed up and might potentially kill me, guess it’s gotta go. No I will not be accepting criticism. You better believe she was waiting for New Dream to bop out for a second so she could slice and dice in relative peace. She gave Lance a heart attack. 
> 
> He doesn’t get paid enough for this shit.

**Author's Note:**

> Are you excited? I’m excited. 
> 
> This fic is one of the bigger ones. The way I have it organized is kind of like three (maybe four?) big ones, the first being Desperate Times, this is the second one. Then there are smaller ones sprinkled in between. I really hope it lives up to the hype I’ve been giving it in my head.


End file.
